Jackson Irvine has warned that Hull City will soon find themselves mired in a relegation fight if they are unable to address their current slump in form.

City have struggled to readjust to life back in the Championship after tumbling out of the Premier League in May and the last 10 games have returned just two wins for Leonid Slutsky’s men.

Back-to-back home defeats against Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough have quickly trampled any hopes of a revival this week, leaving the Tigers to toil in the lower reaches of the table after a third of the season.

A six-point cushion over the bottom three remains intact ahead of Saturday’s trip to Sheffield United but Irvine, who was part of a relegation dogfight with Burton last season, says there cannot be any complacency.

“This is a talented squad,” he said.

Jackson Irvine takes the ball down the wing during the Championship match against Middlesbrough (Image: Focus Images Ltd)

“We are still learning a lot about each other. There was a massive turnover in the summer – a new manager, a lot of new players and we are still trying to learn about each other. We need to do that quickly. It is all well and good saying it is a long season but I was in a similar situation last year.

“Game by game, if you don’t pick up the results it can mean people start to look down. We don’t want to do that. As a club, we have to look up and always look to chase the teams up towards the top end. You can drag yourself down if you start looking there, 100 per cent. We need to keep our heads above water, above that zone, and keep focusing on the teams above us and beating them.”

Read More

The promotion targets of Slutsky and vice chairman Ehab Allam appeared fanciful as City stumbled to another flat defeat on Tuesday night. After deserving nothing from a 3-2 loss to Nottingham Forest at the weekend, it was Middlesbrough who were worthy 3-1 winners at the KCOM Stadium.

Life gets no easier for City as they travel to third-placed Sheffield United on Saturday but Irvine says the course of the season could be altered by one result.

Read More

“One win can change things, that is the nature of the league,” he added. “Just one victory and the confidence flows again, maybe leading to a string of results and a chance to fly up the league. “We need to focus on one game at a time. Going into the two week international break and facing one of the top teams in the league means we need to be at it 100 per cent. They have threats and we are aware of them.”

City are yet to suffer three straight defeats in the Championship this season but that threat is grave after a double set-back against Forest and Middlesbrough.

“No-one is down about it,” Irvine said. “Obviously, it hurts and we don’t like losing matches. Everyone is trying to put their finger on what needs to change.

“We need to stay strong in a brutal league. The Championship often gives you just three or four days between fixtures and we have to be ready to go again. Let’s put it behind us and let’s be ready for Sheffield United.”